Donovan Ruddock - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

Donovan Ruddock also known as Razor Ruddock, is a retired Canadian

Canada

Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...

heavyweight boxer. He was a promising Heavyweight of the late 1980s and early 1990s. Ruddock earned the "Razor" nickname early on for his cutting jab but he was better known for a powerful left hook, which he called "The Smash." One of the best exhibitions of his left hook power, was his brutal 1990 knockout of former Heavyweight champion Michael Dokes

Michael Dokes

Michael Marshall Dokes is a former American boxer in the heavyweight division, nicknamed "Dynamite."-Amateur career:...

Early years

As an amateur, Ruddock had a win over Lennox Lewis

Lennox Lewis

Lennox Claudius Lewis, CM, CBE is a retired boxer and the most recent British undisputed world heavyweight champion. He holds dual British and Canadian citizenship...

. He turned pro in 1982, but his career started slowly, having only 11 fights between 1982 and 1985. He won eight of his first nine fights, but drew his fifth. More controversy would follow in April 1985 when he lost to journeyman David Jaco, who'd been KO'd by a young Mike Tyson

Mike Tyson

Michael Gerard "Mike" Tyson is a retired American boxer. Tyson is a former undisputed heavyweight champion of the world and holds the record as the youngest boxer to win the WBC, WBA and IBF world heavyweight titles, he was 20 years, 4 months and 22 days old...

the year after. After eight rounds Ruddock's corner threw in the towel after he complained of breathing problems. Jaco was awarded a TKO victory. It was discovered Ruddock had a rare respiratory illness and doctors told him his career might be over.

Return to the ring

After taking 10 months off after rehabilitation Ruddock made a full recovery to the doctors surprise and resumed his boxing career winning 9 straight fights, 8 of them by KO also picking up an impressive decision win over former Heavyweight Champion Mike Weaver before going on to fight Ken Lakusta in 1988 for the Canadian heavyweight championship. Ruddock won by first round knock out.

In 1989 after two more wins, both by KO, a fight with another former Heavyweight Champion, the hard hitting James 'Bonecrusher' Smith was made. Some saw it was a risky fight because of Smith's power and a risk not worth taking. In the round 2 he was floored heavily by Smith but showed his heart by getting up, coming back in the round and impressively knocking out Smith in the 7th round.

A title bout was made with undisputed heavyweight champion Mike Tyson

Mike Tyson

, scheduled for November 1989 in Edmonton

Edmonton

Edmonton is the capital of the Canadian province of Alberta and is the province's second-largest city. Edmonton is located on the North Saskatchewan River and is the centre of the Edmonton Capital Region, which is surrounded by the central region of the province.The city and its census...

, Alberta

Alberta

Alberta is a province of Canada. It had an estimated population of 3.7 million in 2010 making it the most populous of Canada's three prairie provinces...

. Tyson, claiming illness, cancelled and opted instead to fight James "Buster" Douglas in Tokyo

Tokyo

, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...

. Tyson would go on to lose in one of the biggest shocks in boxing history. Many accused Tyson of avoiding Ruddock.

Ruddock vs Dokes

1990, Ruddock would fight former heavyweight champion Michael Dokes. Ruddock would go into the fight as underdog but would put on one of the best performances of his career knocking out Dokes in the 4th round. Dokes appeared to be seriously stunned on the ropes after taking Ruddock's famous 'Smash' left hook, a right hand would follow which appeared to put Dokes out cold but Ruddock would throw another two hooks and Dokes was knocked out cold for minutes.

Difficulty finding opponents

After another KO win over Kimmuel Odum in 1990 Ruddock was now seen as the most feared and exciting heavyweight since Mike Tyson

Mike Tyson

burst onto the boxing scene in 1985 with many ranking his power with that of the Heavyweight greats like George Foreman

George Foreman

George Edward Foreman is an American two-time former World Heavyweight Boxing Champion, Olympic gold medalist, ordained Baptist minister, author and successful entrepreneur...

. Ruddock would hold talks with the new heavyweight champion Evander Holyfield

Evander Holyfield

Evander Holyfield is a professional boxer from the United States. He is a former undisputed world champion in both the cruiserweight and heavyweight divisions, earning him the nickname "The Real Deal"...

fresh from his KO win over James 'Buster' Douglas. Holyfield refused the fight and opted to fight 42 year old George Foreman

George Foreman

George Edward Foreman is an American two-time former World Heavyweight Boxing Champion, Olympic gold medalist, ordained Baptist minister, author and successful entrepreneur...

instead. Ruddock would turn his attentions to another up and coming star Riddick Bowe

Riddick Bowe

Riddick Lamont Bowe is a retired American boxer. He is a two-time heavyweight champion and a former undisputed heavyweight champion...

, and held talks with Bowe's management about a possible fight between the two but again Ruddock was unable to get the big fight he craved as Bowe would refuse the fight and opted to fight little known Philipp Brown instead.

Mike Tyson Accepts Fight

With no big name opponent, Ruddock took a warm up fight against Mike Rouse in December 1990 winning by 1st round knockout. The boxing world was calling for Holyfield, Bowe and Tyson to fight Ruddock and prove who was the best heavyweight. Ruddock would finally get his big fight in 1991 after it was announced in January that Ruddock would fight Mike Tyson in March after Tyson accepted Ruddock's challenge. Both fighters were praised in the boxing world for making the fight happen and it was seen by many as the fight between the two best heavyweights in the world as Evander Holyfield was still lightly regarded as champion. It would pit Tyson the number #1 contender against Ruddock who was number #2 for the right to fight the winner of Holyfield-Foreman.

Tyson vs Ruddock

Tyson-Ruddock happened on March 18, 1991. The fight received much attention and at the time was one of the biggest pay-per-view fights to date. The fight was brutal with Tyson scoring a knockdown in round 2 and then knocking Ruddock down toward the end of round 3. The fight went back and forth with Ruddock showing incredible heart and determination. Ruddock had his big moment in round 6 after connecting with some big shots and an uppercut that stunned Tyson before the bell sounded. Tyson started Round 7 charging at Ruddock and after catching him with numerous big shots. Referee Richard Steele

Richard Steele (referee)

Richard Steele is a former member of the United States Marine Corps and famous boxing referee. Steele was a teammate of future world Heavyweight champion Ken Norton in the Marines. He began his career as an amateur boxer while with the Marines, compiling a record of 12 wins and 3 losses before...

controversially stopped the fight even though it appeared Ruddock, although staggering, was healthy enough to continue. The premature stoppage caused tempers to boil over with people angry at the decision. Fighting broke out between both camps in the ring. Steele had to be escorted out of the ring after the angry protests. The only people who seemed calm through it all were the two fighters who both praised each other after the fight with Tyson saying "He punches like a fucking mule kick", stating it was the hardest he'd ever been hit, something he still says to this day.

Tyson vs Ruddock II

After such a controversial first meeting, a rematch was called for. The second Tyson-Ruddock fight took place on June 28, 1991.

The rematch went the distance, a full 12 rounds. Tyson knocked Ruddock down twice during the bout, and won by unanimous decision. The severity of the struggle was evident on both fighters after the fight: Ruddock had a broken jaw and Tyson suffered a perforated eardrum. Sports Illustrated

Sports Illustrated

Sports Illustrated is an American sports media company owned by media conglomerate Time Warner. Its self titled magazine has over 3.5 million subscribers and is read by 23 million adults each week, including over 18 million men. It was the first magazine with circulation over one million to win the...

reported that Ruddock's jaw may have been broken as early as the fourth round. Tyson was magnanimous after his triumph, praising Ruddock as a great heavyweight: 'Man this guy is tough, he'll be champion of the world one day if he stays dedicated and doesn't slip up'.

Comeback Trail

After losing to Tyson for the second time, Ruddock picked up victories over former heavyweight champion Greg Page

Greg Page (boxer)

Greg Page was a boxer from Louisville, Kentucky. He was the World Boxing Association Heavyweight Champion from 1984 to 1985...

and got an impressive win over undefeated hope Phil Jackson

Phil Jackson (boxer)

Phil Jackson, born May 11, 1964 in Miami Beach, FL, was a professional heavyweight boxer, best known for challenging Lennox Lewis for the WBC Heavyweight Title in 1994.-Pro career:...

, both fights again were won by KO. Those victories set up a bout with Lennox Lewis in London, 1992. The bout was seen as an elimination bout for the opportunity to face the winner of the upcoming Bowe

Riddick Bowe

Riddick Lamont Bowe is a retired American boxer. He is a two-time heavyweight champion and a former undisputed heavyweight champion...

- Holyfield

Evander Holyfield

match. Ruddock was knocked out in the second round.

After more than two years out after the Lewis defeat Ruddock came back in 1994 with a points win over Anthony Wade which led to a fight with Tommy Morrison

Tommy Morrison

Tommy David Morrison is an American heavyweight boxer and a former World Boxing Organization champion. He lost only three out of a total of 52 professional fights. Morrison's nickname, "The Duke," is based on disputed claims that he is a grandnephew of Hollywood star John Wayne...

in 1995. In the first round he put Morrison down, and seemed to be close to stopping Morrison, but was caught by a left hook that wobbled him. Again, like the first Tyson fight, Ruddock was stopped controversially in the 6th round on the three knockdown rule. After the loss to Morrison, Ruddock disappeared for 3 years until he returned once again in 1998. He continued to fight until 2001 and never lost a fight. He finished his career by regaining the Canadian Heavyweight title for a second time with a win over Egerton Marcus

Egerton Marcus

Egerton Marcus is a retired Canadian boxer who won the silver medal in the Middleweight division at the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul.-Early life:...

in his last fight and retired with a record of 37 wins in 43 bouts.

Legacy

Since he Retired in 2001 when asked about his Boxing career he stated his fights with Tyson took everything out of him and believed they also finished Tyson insisting both he and Tyson were never the same after those fights.

Ruddock was ranked 70th on Ring Magazine's list of 100 greatest punchers of all time.

Life After Boxing

In the late 1990s Ruddock had filed for bankruptcy as a number of failed investments, including $1 million that he lost when his Fort Lauderdale nightclub "Razor's Palace" went under; had left him cash poor. A contract dispute ruined a close relationship with his brother and former manager, Delroy.

In 2006 Ruddock invented a non-electrical garbage compacter called The Boxer which he hoped would become a success. Ruddock marketed the device he designed one day after becoming increasingly frustrated with the amount of waste his family was creating. The Boxer was sold on his website, Razorruddock.com, however as of January 2010, the site is no longer up and running.

Professional boxing record

Egerton Marcus

Egerton Marcus is a retired Canadian boxer who won the silver medal in the Middleweight division at the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul.-Early life:...

|TKO
|10
|12/10/2001
|align=left|

Harold Sconiers
|SD
|10
|27/04/2001
|align=left|

Jose Ribalta
|KO
|1
|08/10/1999
|align=left|

Mike Sedillo
|TKO
|8
|20/07/1999
|align=left|

Derek Amos
|TKO
|1
|27/05/1999
|align=left|

Anthony Willis
|TKO
|6
|19/02/1999
|align=left|

Tony LaRosa
|TKO
|3
|21/01/1999
|align=left|

Rodolfo Marin
|TKO
|8
|11/08/1998
|align=left|

Tony Bradham
|KO
|2
|26/06/1998
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Brian Yates
|TKO
|4
|16/04/1998
|align=left|

Tommy Morrison

|TKO
|6
|10/06/1995
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Anthony Wade
|UD
|10
|29/01/1994
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Lennox Lewis

Lennox Claudius Lewis, CM, CBE is a retired boxer and the most recent British undisputed world heavyweight champion. He holds dual British and Canadian citizenship...

|TKO
|2
|31/10/1992
|align=left|

Phil Jackson

Phil Jackson (boxer)

Phil Jackson, born May 11, 1964 in Miami Beach, FL, was a professional heavyweight boxer, best known for challenging Lennox Lewis for the WBC Heavyweight Title in 1994.-Pro career:...

|KO
|4
|26/06/1992
|align=left|

Greg Page

Greg Page (boxer)

Greg Page was a boxer from Louisville, Kentucky. He was the World Boxing Association Heavyweight Champion from 1984 to 1985...

|RTD
|8
|15/02/1992
|align=left|

Mike Tyson

|UD
|12
|28/06/1991
|align=left|

Mike Tyson

|TKO
|7
|18/03/1991
|align=left|

Mike Rouse
|KO
|1
|08/12/1990
|align=left|

Kimmuel Odum
|KO
|3
|18/08/1990
|align=left|

Michael Dokes

Michael Marshall Dokes is a former American boxer in the heavyweight division, nicknamed "Dynamite."-Amateur career:...

|TKO
|4
|04/04/1990
|align=left|

James Smith

James Smith (boxer)

James "Bonecrusher" Smith is a former American boxer who was briefly WBA heavyweight champion in the late 1980s. He was the first heavyweight champion with a college degree.-Early life:Smith was born in Magnolia, North Carolina...

|KO
|7
|02/07/1989
|align=left|

James Broad

James Broad was an American heavyweight boxer who was an amateur star and, prior to the boycott, set to represent America in the 1980 Moscow Olympics. As a pro he won the NABF heavyweight title and was a regular sparring partner of a peak Mike Tyson.-Amateur:Broad took up boxing when he joined the...

|TKO
|1
|06/12/1988
|align=left|

Reggie Gross

Reggie Gross was a journeyman heavyweight boxer in the 1980s. His most notable wins were upsets of undefeated Smokin' Bert Cooper and outstanding amateur and 14-0 pro Jimmy Clark ....

|TKO
|2
|27/06/1988
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Ken Lakusta
|KO
|1
|28/05/1988
|align=left|

Larry Alexander
|KO
|2
|26/04/1988
|align=left|

Eddie Richardson
|KO
|4
|24/11/1987
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Juan Quintana
|TKO
|2
|09/08/1987
|align=left|

Carlos Hernandez
|DQ
|2
|15/06/1987
|align=left|

Robert Evans
|TKO
|5
|16/05/1987
|align=left|

Mike Weaver
|SD
|10
|23/08/1986
|align=left|

Al Houck
|TKO
|5
|08/07/1986
|align=left|

John Westgarth
|KO
|7
|28/05/1986
|align=left|

Carlton Jones
|KO
|1
|26/02/1986
|align=left|

David Jaco

David Jaco is a retired heavyweight boxer. He spent his career as a journeyman fighting boxers to build up their career records. He retired in 1994 with 24 wins , 25 losses , and 1 draw.-Career:...

|TKO
|8
|30/04/1985
|align=left|

Oscar Holman
|UD
|8
|20/10/1984
|align=left|

Ricardo Peterson
|UD
|8
|31/07/1984
|align=left|

Cedric Parsons
|TKO
|1
|28/02/1984
|align=left|

Conroy Nelson
|UD
|10
|25/09/1983
|align=left|

Phil Brown
|SD
|6
|26/04/1983
|align=left|

Bill Hollis
|UD
|6
|08/04/1983
|align=left|

Al Williams
|KO
|1
|13/08/1982
|align=left|

Arthur Hall
|MD
|4
|01/06/1982
|align=left|

Garland Tipton
|KO
|2
|24/04/1982
|align=left|

Wes Rowe
|TKO
|4
|20/03/1982
|align=left|

|align=left|
|-align=center

External links

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